Back Nine Golf is preparing to open in Fairfax (Staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)
A Utah-based indoor golf simulator company plans to open a second location in Fairfax County, its ninth in Virginia.
Back Nine Golf has filed a permit to modify the 3,647-square-foot space at 11215 Route 29, Suite L, in the back area of the Fairfax Centre shopping plaza, near the Walmart just outside Fairfax City.
Cannabis cultivation (via Richard T/The CDB on Unsplash)
Fairfax County leaders have begun working to determine what local steps are needed to implement changes in state cannabis laws, and what regulatory powers they will have.
“We want to make sure we put in place what we need to put in place,” Board Chair Jeff McKay said at the July 7 meeting of the Board of Supervisors’ Land Use Policy Committee.
From charity 5Ks to half marathons, Fairfax County hosts a variety of races throughout each year that will get the legs and hearts pumping.
Here are the nominees for “Best Races for Runners in Fairfax” as part of our FFXnow Readers’ Choice Awards. Did we miss your favorite event below? Write them in!
Voting will close in two weeks. Be sure to cast your vote before 8:30 a.m. Friday, July 24.
A few weeks ago, we voted on the Best Golf Course in Fairfax County. The results are now official:
After about 40 minutes of debate, the Vienna Town Council voted 5-2 on Monday (July 6) to schedule a public hearing for Feb. 22, 2027 on whether the town should reduce its meals tax rate from 4% to 3%.
If you are interested in learning more about Continuing Care Retirement Communities (also known as "Life Plan Communities"), whether for yourself or for a loved one, please join our free workshop on Wednesday, November 4 from 5:00-7:00 at the Arlington office of Long & Foster. We are hosting this workshop in conjunction with Lisa Bates of the Williamsburg Landing community, which is a particularly excellent model of the way these communities work, and one you may wish to consider!
– How do Continuing Care Retirement Communities work? – What do they offer? – How much do they cost, and what are the financial models offered? – How do you how to evaluate them, and choose the one that's right for you? – How do you make a plan for a move like this? – How do you handle a lifetime's worth of possessions?
Mod Pizza at Plaza America in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Mod Pizza is shuttering its last restaurant in Fairfax County, making way at Plaza America in Reston for the past decade for a RAMMYs Award-winning chain.
A Mod Pizza spokesperson confirmed to FFXnow that its Reston location will permanently close at the end of September, just over a decade after opening its doors at 11642 Plaza America Drive.
Police and fire response to wrong-way crash on I-395 near Edsall Road in Springfield (courtesy Dave Statter/X)
A driver was taken into police custody last night (Thursday) after allegedly traveling the wrong way on I-95 and crashing into two different vehicles on I-395.
The Virginia State Police responded at around 7:37 p.m. after being notified that a vehicle was traveling north in the I-95 Express Lanes in Prince William County at a time when traffic on the highway was supposed to be flowing south, according to a VSP spokesperson.
Sun breaks through clouds after a rain storm at Caffi Field in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Pedestrians in Bailey’s Crossroads Crash — “Officers responded around 2:53 p.m. [yesterday] to the intersection of Leesburg Pike and Crossroads Center Way following reports of a crash involving two vehicles. Police said preliminary investigation found one of the vehicles left the roadway and hit three pedestrians,” including one teenager. [WJLA]
Man Charged With Killing Infant in Court — “A Fairfax County man accused of fatally punching his infant daughter appeared in court Wednesday as prosecutors presented testimony from a police detective and the medical examiner about the child’s death.” [WUSA9]
Virginia Improves in Business Rankings — “Virginia has climbed a spot in CNBC’s annual ranking of the best states for business, a year after federal job cuts helped knock it out of the No. 1 position. The state placed third in the 2026 rankings released [yesterday], up from fourth last year.” [ARLnow]
Coaches Top Va. Payroll — “Virginia’s highest-paid workers were in a league of their own: university coaches and athletic directors dominated the top of the state’s payroll, with several earning more than $1 million. University of Virginia head football coach Tony Elliott earned over $3.4 million in total pay, the highest salary for a public employee in the Commonwealth in calendar year 2025.” [Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism]
Autism Therapy Center Opens in Fairfax — “SPARKS ABA is a contemporary applied behavior analysis, or ABA, provider of center-based autism services for children and adolescents ages 2-18 years. The Fairfax Learning Center provides center-based ABA therapy and on-site diagnostic services, as well as speech and occupational therapy.” [Inside NoVA]
Accessory Unit Zoning Review Continues — “In-law suites, au pair apartments and other home add-ons are becoming more popular as families look for flexible ways to live together — or bring in extra rental income. But in Fairfax County, Virginia, actually building one can be a complicated process. Now, county leaders are considering changes that could make it easier for homeowners to add those spaces.” [WTOP]
Park Authority Honors Volunteers — “At its meeting on June 24, the Fairfax County Park Authority Board approved a resolution honoring 21 individuals as 2026 Outstanding Volunteers. These peer-nominated individuals were recognized for their dedication to their community and their invaluable service to the Fairfax County park system.” [FCPA]
Reston Contractor Acquires Fairfax Firm — “Reston federal technology contractor Empower AI has acquired Fairfax’s Highlight Technologies Inc. in a bid to expand its AI and cloud offerings for the federal government … It’s the first acquisition for Empower AI … since New York investment giant KKR & Co. Inc. purchased a majority stake in the company in 2022.” [Washington Business Journal]
It’s Friday — There is a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm, with increasing clouds and a high near 90°F. There will be a west wind at 5 to 7 mph. Overnight, there’s a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm, with isolated showers possible afterward. The night will be mostly cloudy with a low around 71°F and a light west wind. [NWS]
Expect scattered showers and thunderstorms after 3 PM, with increasing clouds and a high near 89°F, accompanied by a west wind around 7 mph. There is a 30% chance of precipitation. During the night, scattered showers and thunderstorms are likely before 2 AM, followed by isolated showers until 5 AM. The night will be mostly cloudy with a low around 71°F and a light west wind, with a 30% chance of precipitation. See more from Weather.gov.
Sabrina Bruce (courtesy Sabrina Bruce for Herndon Town Council)
More than a decade of military service came to an unwelcome end last year for Sabrina Bruce, but rather than retreating from government work, she hopes to continue serving, shifting her focus to the local community that embraced her as soon as she arrived.
Bruce officially obtained enough signatures last month to qualify for the ballot in the upcoming Herndon Town Council elections. If she wins one of six open seats on Nov. 3, she would become the first openly transgender person elected to any office in Fairfax County.